An Invincible Summer - A Woman's Journey

Last night was the final night of our neighborhood book club. We read Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar. The Boy Scout and I had spent the entire 3 previous days putting the final touches on the house for the realtor. We were exhausted, to say the least, but looking forward to the chance to discuss the book. Ayad Akhtar has an incredible gift with the english language. Whether I loved the story or not, I could never deny that this person strings words together like a painter creating a masterpiece.  “The established majority takes its "we" image from a minority of its best and shapes a "they" image of the despised outsiders from a minority of their worst.” ―  Ayad Akhtar,  Homeland Elegies “I’d observed a change in myself in those last few weeks before the election, a new, narcotic dependence on my phone, an aching that wasn’t even for the phone itself but for the daily clatter of outrage about Trump it delivered. I remember feeling—through that last fortnight before ...

The isolation caused by this pandemic can be hard but I consider myself pretty lucky. I've been able to work, we've continued to golf, my youngest is still home and we have our neighbors. Yesterday we started a bookclub. Sitting outside in the wind and chilly temps, spaced safely away from each other, we sat with hats and blankets and discussed the book of choice. The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux is not my taste in books but it lead to a great discussion. Three chapters in, I am already looking forward to next Sunday. As we sat around, agreeing and disagreeing, bringing new light to otherwise overlooked characters, I felt a great sense of community, something I've longed for all my life and struggled to find. Who would have thought that one could find community in a time of world pandemic?  I have long been asking for it and the Universe finally responded, letting me know that time was now and that I am ready to be a contributing part of a group. Emotionally more sober and not...